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Arizona State University has one of the highest student body totals in the entire country. Every year the freshman class has more students then the pervious year. These students for the most part are leaving their homes and moving away for the first time to one of the fourteen resident halls on campus. As students arrive in their resident halls they become excited to be out on their own and meet new people. The last thing on their minds is safety or lack thereof.
The new residents are met at the door with smiling faces by their new resident hall assistants or RA. The purpose of a resident assistant is to play a vital role in developing and maintaining the atmosphere of academic, personal and social growth. Under a list of their responsibility is to conduct night/weekend duty rotations to assist with the safety and security of buildings. It is interesting that crime reports have shown that with an increase in students every year leads to an increase in crime. Every year since 1994 car theft, property damage, and bike theft have increased on ASU campus. To curb this trend thousand of dollars have been given to Arizona State University’s police or DPS. They have placed surveillance cameras in the Memorial Union, parking garages, and in all buildings excluding residence halls with the exception of one, Manzanita Hall.
Manzanita Hall is a freshmen year experience hall meaning only freshmen live their and is the largest resident hall on campus. After talking to Bryan Custer, a former Resident Assistant for 3 years and currently works in the resident life department, was informed that Manzanita Hall is the only hall with surveillance cameras. There is one camera in the lobby that watches the entrance to the hall and the second camera is on the roof of this 15 story building. The camera in the lobby is a small camera which is stationed to always face the entrance. The camera on the roof is much larger and can be moved in a complete circle and appears to be looking out over the campus.
I visited Manzanita Hall to have a few of my questions answered on their surveillance cameras. I was hoping to learn why Manzanita Hall is the only hall on campus with a surveillance camera? Who has access to the cameras monitor screens and whether or not the video feed is being recorded or just observed? Who is in charge of the cameras, especially the camera on the roof? What is the purpose of the surveillance cameras? Was it to watch students or property? Last, what are each cameras capabilities? I would especially like to know about the camera on its roof and how far it can zoom in and out?
To find the answers to my questions I first visited the front desk of the hall and asked the young lady working at the desk if I could talk to somebody about their surveillance cameras for a class project. The desk assistant then wrote down two names and numbers to call and then assured me that they would have the answers to my questions. The first was the Resident Hall Coordinator Geoffrey Stark and then Hall Director Michael Pule. I first called Geoffrey but I his answer machine only answered so I left my name, purpose, and a phone number to reach me at. I am still waiting for a return phone call. Then I called Michael who answered his phone but stated he didn’t know the answers to my questions. He then gave me another name and number to call and I was again assured that this person would be able to answer all my questions. I was given the name Ruth Kinsley but not her job title. I searched the school directory and home page and was unsuccessful at finding anything about her. Ruth did answer her phone but after a short conversation she quickly told me didn’t have any information on the cameras and that I could give her the questions I needed answered and she would contact me by December 7th. I read out my questions over the phone to her and thanked her for her help. As of today December 8th I have still not received a phone call from Ruth or Geoffrey. My questions still remain unanswered. This leaves me to draw my own conclusions from my observations.
My first goal is try to figure out why is Manzanita Hall the only resident hall on campus that has a surveillance camera in the lobby. It would seem that all resident halls would have a camera in its lobby, not just one. I went back to the lobby of the hall to look around and try to determine if the camera is protecting students or property. Inside the lobby are a small computer lab, a flat screen television monitor, and a couple of offices. I first thought perhaps the camera was for preventing vandalism to the monitor or stealing of computers. However, I next went into the dorm next door to Manzanita called Palo Verde East. This hall had the same flat screen monitor and computer lab. I now believe that the camera’s purpose is to monitor the entrance to the hall and therefore aiding student safety along with RA’s. I do believe that the camera’s video feed is being recorded but is erased probably at the end of the week. The camera on the roof is the mystery. During my first visit to the hall it was looking out toward the football stadium. My next visit had the camera looking out over University Street. With these camera placed on the roof it could possible look out over most of the campus and therefore I believe that DPS not the resident halls are controlling it. Its purpose seems to be to protect property such as buildings and the stadium then student safety. I would assume it has the capabilities to seem in, possible close enough to read what somebody walking on University Street has on their hat.
Manzanita hall was a reputation as being the worse hall on campus. Worse in that crime is the highest and vandalism in elevators and on each floor is frequent. There have even been reports of sexual harassment cases taking place inside the hall by students and strangers. It is strange that the only hall with a surveillance camera in their lobby is worse off then the other 13 halls that rely solely on RA’s patrolling the halls. The surveillance camera seems to be an extra expense that hasn’t produced desired results of student safety. Last the camera on the roof was a bit unsettling after I first noticed it. I always figured that inside building or parking structures that I would be under surveillance but I didn’t know that just by walking down University Street I would be watched. There are no signs around Manzanita or University Street that states you are under surveillance. It wasn’t until my 4th year here at Arizona State University that I realized a camera sat on top of this hall. Perhaps it will take another 4 years to get the answers to my questions and learn the cameras purpose.
Contact Numbers:
Michael Pule: 480-965-0323
Geoffrey Stark: 480-965-5537
Ruth Kinsley: 480-727-6948
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Starting this research I began with the assumption that the decision to put any type of surveillance equipment in a building would be based solely on protecting the schools financial assets. This, based on the research done in and around the Business building, proved true. The first camera that I noticed on the Business building is the one located in the outside stairwell leading down to the basement of the building where the computer commons are located. This camera looks old and I'd bet that it was not functional but it does look down the stair well at the entrance to the basement of the building. Probably watching people leaving the building. Based on the surrounding environment I have come to the conclusion that this camera is located where it is to record anybody trying to leave the building with school property.
